 | Pastor Bill Emmerling, Jr. is the lead pastor at Grace Place Pittsburg, meeting at the Homer Cole Community Center in Pittsburg. Ordained at Grace Place of Lamar, MO, Bill has a heart to see Godly men together lead their families for the glory of Jesus the Messiah. He has been married to the bride of his youth, Sharri, for 22 years and has two daughters and a son. Bill has earned a B.S. in Physics, a secondary teaching certification and studied Theology/Philosophy at Lincoln Christian Seminary. He may be reached at pittsburg@grace-place.org or by phone at 620-670-4510 |
Religion
2012-11-19 11:44:53
What was the star the wise men followed?
Q- What was the star the wise men followed to find the baby Jesus in Matthew 2:1-11?
A- Matthew is the only gospel writer to record the presence of this star. Many things have been suggested as an explanation such as a comet, meteor, or a supernova (exploding star). Yet the most compelling explanation I have encountered has been put forth by Rick Larson at BethlehemStar.net. There are nine conditions he draws from Matthew’s account needing to be satisfied.
• It signified birth.
• It signified kingship.
• It had a connection with the Jewish nation.
• It rose in the east, like other stars.
• It appeared at a precise time.
• Herod didn’t know when it appeared.
• It endured over time.
• It was ahead of the Magi as they went south from Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
• It stopped over Bethlehem.
Working from historical records, discoveries by scientists such as Johannes Kepler and the power of computers to simulate the stars in the sky through time, Mr. Larson makes the case that the star is Jupiter moving through the constellations during the time surrounding the birth of Christ Jesus, the Messiah.
Even so, as amazing as the thought that God put the very heavens in motion thousands of years before to point to the birth of His Son is, it is most important that we recognize that He used these signs to point to our Messiah, who died for our sins in our place, that we may be made right with God, and that God the Father raised this Messiah, Jesus, from the dead to provide proof of his worthiness and give us hope that he will do the same for us when He sends the Messiah back for us. The best way to celebrate the season is to know the Messiah and worship him as our Savior. Have a blessed Christmas.
